


Do Something

by onlyhereforellick



Series: Angstober '20 [4]
Category: NCIS
Genre: F/M, fictober 20
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-05
Updated: 2020-10-05
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:55:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 774
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26828476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onlyhereforellick/pseuds/onlyhereforellick
Summary: That was Ducky’s favorite stand.
Relationships: Ellie Bishop/Nick Torres
Series: Angstober '20 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1952188
Comments: 10
Kudos: 19





	Do Something

**Author's Note:**

> Fictober ‘20 - “That didn’t stop you before.”

His eyes slowly made their way around the sterile room that was now in shambles. They finished their journey to peruse and assess the fuming figure smack dab in the middle, fists clenched, nostrils flaring despite the sagged shoulders. The ticking time bomb that desperately needed to be diffused...gently.

He had an inkling of what this outburst was about, if the cryptic text from Ellie canceling their weekly morning coffee and paint session tomorrow was any indication. So his expression remained neutral in hopes of pissing off Nick even more. His left hand came up to adjust his glasses just barely- a nervous tell he’d developed and couldn’t quit regardless of how hard he tried. Jimmy went for his classic tactic, even if occasionally it backfired on him, infusing humor into a tense situation. Opening up both palms to gesture around the room, he replied to Nick, “Well, yeah-“ his right hand moved to the direction of the destroyed remnants of the instrument stand, “that _was_ Ducky’s favorite stand.”

Through gritted teeth Nick supplied a blunt, “Take it from my paycheck.” Clearly the rage hadn’t entirely left his system and humor wasn’t the way to go.

Jimmy tried again, “So you fucked up, huh?” He could see Nick bristle at his swearing, it truly wasn’t common for him but the situation called for it.

Immediately Nick caved in on himself, deflating like a clown balloon during a trick. His voice much quieter, “Yeah, Palmer. I fucked up. Screwed the pooch. Whatever you want to call it.”

Jimmy narrowed his eyes and took a step closer to lessen the gap as he dove straight to the point, “What’d you say to her?”

Nick’s previously lowered head snapped up as his eyes zeroed in on Jimmy’s serious expression, doing his best to emanate a trustworthy confidant. He stuttered, “H- how did you know?” Answering his own question before Jimmy had to explain his precariously placed intuition, Nick marched on, “Never mind it doesn’t matter. I kind of maybe told Jack there was nothing between Ellie and I, that we had zero chemistry, that there was nothing there. I believe I said there ‘ _never has and never will_.’ And well, Ellie may have, sort of...overheard the entire thing and took off crying and now I can’t find her,” the last part came rushing out as his hands scrubbed his face in agony.

Jimmy raised an eyebrow as his suspicions were confirmed and simultaneously cringed as his dumb payback joke came around to bite Nick in the ass. He steered himself for this part of the conversation, it was time to get real. “Ok, so you stuck your foot in your mouth...” Nick’s brows shot up questioning his sanity, Jimmy pressed on undeterred, “but, so what? First things first: that zero chemistry thing? Man, I said that to get under your skin. I didn’t think you’d take it so seriously.” He shook his head- not even at Nick- at himself for his previous poor choice in a joke. “And second,” he looked Nick dead in the eye, “that didn’t stop you before.”

Nick’s mouth open and shut several times before finally producing words, “Huh? A joke? Didn’t stop me before? What are you talking about Palmer? Have the fumes gotten to you down here?”

Jimmy chuckled and Nick finessed his glare. Once again schooling his expression into one of understanding, he explained himself, “You told her she was the same as a sister before, right?”

Nick noticeably winced and nodded.

“And did you stop there? Did nothing more happen between you two? Did you _actually_ treat her like a sister?” He pressed.

Nick silently shook his head no, but confusion filled his eyes.

Jimmy opened his folded hands as he moved even closer to Nick, “No, because you shoving your foot in your mouth like me did not stop you. Instead, you- only weeks later- quite literally almost died for Ellie. You, a madman, jumped in front of a speeding car and threw her out of the way to protect her. You, lone wolf, put her life before yours without a moment’s hesitation. You fucked up but you didn’t let it stop you.” Jimmy paused, letting the weight of his words sink in, then continued, “Do you know why?”

Nick shakily answered, “Because I love her?”

Jimmy hummed in question.

More firmly, resolutely Nick lifted his head with renewed purpose and tried again, “Because I love her.”

A smile bloomed on his face, he could feel it, he was on a roll tonight and went all in, “That’s right. Now go fucking do something about it.”


End file.
